Ease of Idolatry

I knew that today would be full of “do this and do that” so I purposed to wake early and spend time with the Lord. It was through my Bible reading that I kept pondering the ease of idolatry in my own life.

It all started as I began my reading about King Hezekiah.

2 Kings 18 1-7

“Now it came to pass in the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign. Twenty and five years old was he when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name also was Abi, the daughter of Zachariah.

And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that David his father did.

He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan.

He trusted in the Lord God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him. For he clave to the Lord, and departed not from following him, but kept his commandments, which the Lord commanded Moses.

And the Lord was with him; and he prospered whithersoever he went forth: and he rebelled against the king of Assyria, and served him not.”

My morning study led me through several passages, but it was in this passage that I discovered the words, almost like a neon sign, beckoning my attention. We’re told that Hezekiah broke the brass serpent that Moses used in the wilderness because the people had started to worship the brass serpent instead of God.

That’s when I began to ponder the ease of idolatry.

I’m sure if you asked most of us if we worship idols we’d say, “Of course not.”

Maybe we should really ponder this question some more.

Psalm 139:23

Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:

In Numbers 21 God had told the people if they wanted to be saved from the bite of the fiery serpent they had to look upon this brass serpent on a pole that Moses had made. What once was established by God to heal them had now become an idol to them.

I began to examine my own life and consider areas where I might have easily misplaced my gaze.

I wrote to my Joe saying,

“There is an ease in idolatry that I hadn’t considered until this morning. Perhaps it’s because idolatry puts my attention on my efforts and is tangible in some way to stimulate or satisfy my senses.”

Friends, let us remember that our good works, important traditions, right words, or proper clothes won’t bring us one step closer to God. If we begin to put our gaze on any of these things other than Him we’ve fallen prey to the ease of idolatry.

I am confident that God deserves all of our worship.

My thoughts and study will continue until I fully consider the implications of idolatry in my own life. I hope you’ll take a moment to consider the importance of this topic as well.

May our eyes be fixed on the Author and Finisher of our Faith.

Hebrews 12:2

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.